Chapter 109: Why is This Xiao Kaitian So Bizarre?

To a great extent, this seminar provided a viable roadmap for the future direction of the Future Century project. Xiao Kaitian was highly satisfied with the outcome.

As was the custom, after the seminar concluded, the attendees gathered in the dining halls on the second and third floors, sharing a meal while continuing to exchange ideas and opinions.

This format—a hybrid of business and academia that avoided rigid conclusions—won everyone's favor. Though it was initially feared that scholars with differing views might clash, no such conflicts arose.

As the crowd gradually dispersed and Xiao Kaitian prepared to leave with Zhao Qixi and Bai Kou, Yu Mei approached them with a helpless expression, holding an express envelope. "Mr. Xiao, this is a new challenge letter."

Another one. Xiao Kaitian frowned slightly, shifting his gaze to Bai Kou.

The two had an agreement that she would handle such matters. Bai Kou did not hesitate to accept. Having recently practiced the cultivation techniques Xiao Kaitian had given her, she welcomed the chance to test them out. She took the envelope from Yu Mei.

Unaware that Bai Kou was a Grandmaster, Yu Mei paused in slight surprise before explaining seriously, "I heard that the opponent this time is an elder of the Qimen Sect, and he is at the Earth Realm level."

"Isn't that a violation of the rules? Our Qixi Media Consulting is only a two-star enterprise, after all." Xiao Kaitian disliked getting dragged into these tedious matters. Once the Qingtang Empire stabilized, he planned to ascend to the next dimension. He had no time to waste dealing with the martial arts world.

"Yes, but everyone knows that Qixi is backed by the Qingtang Empire, which is a three-star enterprise, so..." Yu Mei gave a wry smile. "I did some private digging. Although he is officially classified as an Earth Realm cultivator, his actual strength is said to be on par with a Grandmaster."

Hearing this, Bai Kou's eyebrows arched. An opponent like that was exactly what she wanted.

"Thank you," Xiao Kaitian said. While he was happy to leave the matter to Bai Kou, he still appreciated Yu Mei's diligence.

"Also, regarding the investigation into the martial cultivator you mentioned last time—domestic cultivators are unlikely to take the job, but European bounty hunters will. I've contacted one. The fee is about fifty million, with a thirty percent down payment. What do you think?"

Xiao Kaitian paused as the image of the frail Gu Zixi flashed through his mind. Without a second thought, he nodded in agreement. "Proceed. For the details and the funding, coordinate with Lin Xiang. But I want results as quickly as possible."

"No problem." Her task completed, Yu Mei turned and walked away with her head held high.

"About the Qimen Sect..." Xiao Kaitian felt a bit guilty for exploiting Bai Kou like this. If she truly didn't want to fight, he would take care of it himself.

"It's fine. We have an agreement. Besides, he's just an elder," Bai Kou replied dismissively, pushing Zhao Qixi's wheelchair toward the exit.

That afternoon, reports on the seminar began appearing across major media outlets. Since Tang Tian had already smoothed things over with the invited journalists, the coverage was overwhelmingly positive. The articles almost unanimously characterized Qixi Media Consulting in glowing terms, praising its "thoughtful debates" and "harmonious blend of academic rigor and intellectual freedom."

Furthermore, since many of the attendees were students, they enthusiastically promoted the seminar across various social media platforms. This quickly caught the attention of the wider student body, with the majority of online comments expressing a keen interest in attending future sessions.

Meanwhile, the paid internet trolls hired by Tang Tian to smear the movie *Beyond the Firmament* had been active for so long, posting identical boycott comments across forums, message boards, and social media platforms, that the general public was finally beginning to suffer from aesthetic fatigue.

The film had not even begun shooting, and there was not even a teaser trailer yet. To dismiss it as trash or a mere money-laundering scheme based solely on the historical shortcomings of Han-Tang science fiction films defied all logic.

Chen Jingming's production crew immediately made parts of their budget allocation public, alongside the official audit results from the tax bureau. This proved that their funding was entirely transparent, delivering a resounding slap to the faces of those who had accused the project of money laundering.

Evidently, Zhao Qixi’s maneuvers were beginning to bear fruit. A significant portion of the online community shifted their stance, at least adopting a more objective attitude toward the film.

Inside the headquarters of the Su's Film and Media Group, Su Jingyao smashed his favorite teacup to pieces in a fit of rage. He was beginning to regret wading into these muddy waters so carelessly.

The Su family had no real grievance with Xiao Kaitian. In truth, Xiao Kaitian's film had little to do with the mainstream entertainment industry. What difference could a single movie make? Even the dispute over Ling Xuan's contract termination was minor squabbling; there was no fundamental clash of interests between the two sides.

He should never have succumbed to Xiao Zhenglv's temptation. Now, however, he was riding a tiger and could not dismount. Everyone in the industry was watching, waiting to see the outcome of this war between Su's Film and Media and Qixi Media Consulting.

If they lost, Su's Film and Media's position as the undisputed king of the entertainment industry might be shaken.

The gains were truly not worth the losses!

Gritting his teeth, he ordered, "Go! Hire more trolls. Keep flooding the topics and smearing them without stopping!"

"But Mr. Su," his subordinate stammered, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. "The data department just ran the numbers. If we keep smearing it like this, it will backfire and trigger a reverse-psychology effect. Public anticipation for this film has already risen from less than five percent initially to twenty-eight percent now, and that figure is still climbing."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Su Jingyao looked ready to put a gun to the man's head. "Do you think we haven't been humiliated enough? Am I supposed to turn around and promote the movie for them now? Huh?!"

"Useless trash, the lot of you!" Su Jingyao loosened his collar. *How could this Xiao Kaitian be so damn bizarre?*

Unlike the furious Su Jingyao, Xue Rong was in an exceptionally good mood today. He respectfully offered a cigarette to the thin, elderly man sitting opposite him and lit it. "Elder Liu, I will have to trouble you with this matter."

Things had not been going well for him lately. He had taken quite a beating from Xiao Zhenglv over the Xiao Kaitian situation. But what choice did he have? He had planned everything perfectly. Who could have anticipated that Xiao Kaitian would be such an anomaly, let alone a martial cultivator himself?

The man was a fraud. Having lost a fortune on the last two challenge matches, Xue Rong had to grit his teeth and shell out eighty million yuan this time just to hire an elder from the Qimen Sect. If this failed, he would be financially ruined.

"This is not merely about the money," Elder Liu said, folding the check with satisfaction and slipping it into his pocket. "Xiao Kaitian crippled two core disciples of our Qimen Sect. In the martial arts world, this is a blood feud. If the Qimen Sect does not address this, how can we maintain our standing in the martial community?"

"If I may ask... what do you make of Xiao Kaitian's strength?"

"Judging by Duan Fei's injuries, he is at most in the early stage of the Earth Realm," Elder Liu said, taking a slow drag of his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Duan Fei was too careless and relied too heavily on spells. Xiao Kaitian must have some method to counter spells. But to me, such tricks are nothing more than child's play."

"I dare say that even Cheng Zhe, the president of the Haidu Martial Arts Association, would not dare challenge me lightly. In all of Haidu, there is no cultivator who surpasses me." He set his wine glass down with absolute confidence.

Xue Rong was overjoyed. He clapped his hands, and two beautiful women walked in through the door. "I leave everything in your capable hands, Elder Liu."